What I Go Through
by misto-shadow
Summary: MayxDrew A complicated twist in Drew's life. His best friend. Her boyfriend. His undying love for his best friend, and how he copes with the boyfriend. Rated for mild language and inflicting bodily harm. Mwahaha, the sixth chappie is posted. :D
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer-** I don't own Pokemon, blah, blah, blah...just let me get on with the effing story!

What I Go Through When You Aren't Around

Blood trickled down his arm and he dropped the kitchen knife. He wiped some of the blood from his wrist with his right hand and stared at it, almost as if in fascination with his own life support that was currently draining away. His eye was itchy, and without really thinking he rubbed it quickly with the back of his left hand, and in doing so the blood that was freely flowing from his wrist dripped on his cheek. It ran down to his chin, all slow and agonizing like. Just before it dripped on the floor he lifted his finger and that's where it landed. Drawing the finger down his other cheek he created a 'tear line' identical to the other.

He looked at himself in the mirror, and decided to get a picture of this. His blank mindedness prevented him from thinking about the blood still pulsing from his wrist. He was beginning to feel the affects. On his way to the kitchen he thudded against the wall in the hallway in a dizzy spell. Once the floor stopped rocking back in forth he continued on, ignoring the drops of blood that splashed soundlessly on the wood floor. At least it wasn't carpeted...the blood would be such a pain to try and clean out.

He grabbed the camera off the top of the microwave and returned to the bathroom. He stared at his pale face in the mirror, and then raised the camera and took a picture. It took a few tries, but he finally got his face centered in the middle. Finally he let his attention wander back to the wrist on his left arm, and decided out of sheer whim to wrap it. He washed himself off and smeared some Neosporin on the fresh wound.

After he wrapped his wrist in gauze he walked to his room and lay down. The world around him had begun to spin after he had taken the pictures, and it hadn't stopped yet. After lying on his bed for less than ten minutes there was a knock at the door. Groaning he stood and went to answer it. There was only one person he really wanted to see, no matter how much it would hurt him. Swaying on his way to the door he caught his balance by grabbing the back of the sofa.

He really wished he had a peep hole in his door or something. Oh well. If it was anyone beside her he would just shut the door again and walk away. He twisted the doorknob and ignored the twinge of pain from his wrist. Upon opening the door he came face to face with the only one he wanted to be there. She was crying. And finally he realized his folly. He saw her. She was crying. Even if she were smiling he would have felt that horrid hole in his chest burn and tear open, filling his whole body with unbearable pain.

But she was crying. With his right hand he gripped his left side to keep from collapsing. The whole in his chest was trying to tear him apart. His eyes burned from the pain, and he wanted to slam the door and never face the world again. But they always said to put your needs before your wants, and right now he needed to talk to her. He needed to stop the crying.

Hiding the wounded wrist behind his back and ushered her in, careful not to make any contact. He knew that wouldn't be the best thing for him to do right now. He was already weakened by his blood deprived body and the salty tears streaming down her face. He told her he would be back and raced to the bathroom. He didn't want her asking about his wrist in particular, so he hastily wrapped his hand as well. Grabbing a box of tissues he headed back into the living room, only to find her staring at the dried droplets of blood on the floor. _'Aw, shit. I forgot about the blood.'_ She looked up at him, her brow furrowed in confusion.

"It's nothing. I just cut my hand on a knife earlier. I went to the bathroom to wrap my hand and before I got the chance to clean up the blood you came. It's no big deal." He shrugged and sat down on the sofa, handing her the box of tissues.

"We...we had a fight." She whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

"Oh. Is that why you're here?" He was deeply concerned, and his eyes said it all.

"Yeah." The tears flooded her eyes again and spilled down over her cheeks. The hole in his chest ached for her.

"May...don't. Don't start crying again, please." His voice was soft and pleading. He couldn't stand to see her cry.

"I'm sorry...I...I just can't help it!" She dropped her face into her hands, but he could still see the tears spilling through her fingers.

Ignoring the throbbing in his chest he gathered her small frame up in his arms and hugged her tightly. The pain was instantly washed away. This was right to him. May quieted down after a while and just sat there, glad for the comfort from her only friend here. He loosened his grip and they sat in silence for a long time.

"Do...do you feel like talking about it?" His voice was hesitant, and he prayed with all his heart that she wouldn't want to. There was nothing more painful than listening to the one you love with all your being talk about a fight they had with their boyfriend.

May shook her head and buried her face deeper into his shirt, hoping that he wouldn't press her into talking. There wasn't anything worse than talking about a horrible fight with a wonderful guy that you didn't even like. Especially when the listener was the one who had captured your heart and you couldn't seem to get it back, no matter how stuck up he was sometimes. That was Drew for ya. Fifteens minutes went by, and May had fallen asleep snuggled contently in Drew's arms. He smiled and rested his chin on her head. Five more minutes and the two of them were both sleeping. There was nothing better than a good nights rest in the arms of your secret love.

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Drew woke up, and his attention was instantly focused on the warm body that he had his arms securely wrapped around. He lifted his head and looked down at said warm body, and once he realized it was May the events of the night before flooded his mind. He couldn't help but smile at the cute look May had on her face when she slept. He gently kissed her forehead, wishing that this wonderful moment would last forever. No such luck. May woke up five minutes later, her blue eyes foggy with sleep. She looked up at him and a goofy smile spread across her face. Mornings were definitely not her thing.

"Good morning sleepy head. You feeling better?" He cocked his head to the side, and she giggled in response. Music to his ears.

"Mm-hmm. What time is it?" She remembered every little detail of the fight she had last night, but right now it seemed unimportant and dream-like. She was with him right now, and that's all that mattered.

Drew glanced at the clock on the coffee table by the couch. "Seven-thirty. It's a good thing today is Sunday, or you would be late for work!" He smirked.

"Yeah..." He eyes grew distant and unhappy. But Drew wasn't looking. He had already moved off the couch and was heading for the kitchen.

"Breakfast?" He called from the kitchen as he opened the fridge.

"Sure."

"The usual?"

"Yup."

May had stayed at his house for a few weeks before because her house was being fumigated and repaired. They had pancakes, eggs, and bacon every morning for breakfast. While Drew was preparing the sustenance for the morning May went to the bathroom to wash her face. That's where she found a bloody sink and floor. _'Oh my god...he lost a lot of blood!' _Grabbing a washcloth she cleaned up the dried red and proceeded to wash her face. She failed to notice the bloodied knife point that stuck out from under the bathroom closet door.

May finished washing her face and went to the kitchen, carrying the bloodstained washcloth. Drew was flipping a pancake just as she entered the room, and when she noticed the knot holding his apron on she smiled. She knew that the edges of the apron were dyed dark blue, as were the ends of the cloth strips you tied around you to keep it secure, even though she couldn't see the whole thing. She gave him that apron for his birthday two years ago, when she had first moved here.

Drew turned around after he finished flipping the pancake, and his name was written in old-style cursive with silver acrylic paint on the front of the apron. May quickly wiped away her smile before he could see it and waved the washcloth she was holding in his face.

"Do you see this!? This washcloth is soaked through with the blood I cleaned up off the sink and floor in that bathroom! _Your _blood! Do you realize if you had lost much more you could've passed out, or even died!!?" Her voice was shrill. I mean, you would be pretty upset too if you had to clean up a large amount of blood that belonged to the one who captured your heart!

Drew stared at the washcloth for a few seconds and then looked at May, searching. Had she found the knife? He didn't want to have to make up another lie about why it was in the bathroom as well. He hated lying to May. It was the very bane of his existence, along with any guy that looked at her the wrong way. Ugh, and her god-awful boyfriend. He sucked too.

"Hey, I'm fine! You don't need to get worried over nothing!" He pointed a finger at her.

"You call this nothing!? Honestly Drew, you could've bled to death! And how big is this 'little scratch' anyway?! By the looks of things you must've gashed up your hand pretty badly! You might need stitches! Let me see it!" She dropped the washcloth on the floor and snatched the bandaged hand.

"May!!" He yanked his hand away, and when she reached out to grab it again he dodged around her, attempting to flee the kitchen. Too bad he forgot about the washcloth on the floor.

In one swift movement he grabbed the nearest thing to him when he began to fall, and that just so happened to be the arm of May. He crashed to the floor and May landed in a sitting position on top of his stomach, her knees touching the floor on either side of him.

"Ugh! May, get off!!" He moved his hand up to push her off, but she grabbed his left one and proceeded to remove the gauze.

"Stop it May! Don't touch that!" But he couldn't squirm out of her vice-like grip.

"No! I need to see how bad this cut really is! You might need to see a doctor and get stitches!" she had removed the gauze from a little over half of his hand, but had found no trace of a cut thus far.

Her brow creased with confusion when she finished removing all the gauze from his hand.

"Drew?" He turned his head and looked away, not willing to meet her eyes. She discovered his little secret after all this time he had successfully covered it up.

That was why he wore long sleeves most of the time. On his pale skin there were five other scars that hadn't fully healed up and were still a light shade of pink. Three more ghostly lines stretched the width of his arm, but because they were shallow cuts the scars were barely visible. He had been cutting ever since he was thirteen. He started because he was all alone at home when his grandfather called to tell the family that his grandmother had died, and Drew had no idea how to deal with that pain by himself. May had unwound the rest of the gauze and dropped it on the floor as she stared in horror at the fresh slice in his skin.

Her eyes wandered the length of his arm, and for each scar she saw she visibly winced. Drew couldn't stand the pained look on her face. The hole in his chest suddenly reminded him of its existence, and he squeezed his eyes shut to force back the tears. But as soon as he felt May tracing the old scars his eyes flew open to watch her. A tear ran down her cheek as she gently ran a finger over the newest mark. She looked him in the eye then, and her pools of blue were pained and sad.

"Drew…..why? Why have you…..you done this to yourself? Why?!?" Her voice quivered with pent up emotions, and the tears began to fall.

Drew said nothing. He couldn't just up and decide to tell her why! He couldn't tell her that he relieved his misery this way. He couldn't tell her this was how he dealt with the emotional pain that had become a black hole on his chest and sucked his heart in. He couldn't tell her this was because of her boyfriend. He couldn't tell her this was because he loved her with all his heart but she belonged to someone else. He just couldn't.

He managed to pick her up off of himself and sit up, gathering her into his arms. He had made her cry. She was crying because he had done this to himself. She had no reason to shed tears over his 'hobby', but she was.

"Why? Why, why, why?!" May sobbed into his shirt and she hit him in the chest with her fist, but he barely felt it.

"May….please calm down. I….I can't explain anything if you're blubbering all over me." He managed a soft smile when she looked up, her eyes puffy and her lips set in a pout.

"May, this," he lifted his wrist up and looked at it, avoiding her tear filled eyes, "this is how I deal with my pain."

"What?" She blinked a few times, trying to understand.

"See, whenever something bad happens, something that I can't cope with, I……I deal with it like this. Each one of these scars has a painful memory for me. Two or three of them are because of the same thing." He was actually talking about the freshest three, but he didn't have the gut to tell her what the reason was. "The first one," he traced it with his finger, "was when my grandmother died. I was all by myself….and I had no idea what to do."

May sat and listened patiently as he explained each bad memory, his eyes distant and horribly sad.

"The next two came when my dad died of cancer. Quick and sharp…..that's all I was thinking when I did it. And this one happened when my grandfather died." A ghost of a smile played with his lips. "He always told the most wonderful stories……." Drew looked at the last one that didn't have anything to do with May. "And this….this was because of me. I hated myself for cutting; I hated all the pressure in my life, and most of all….I hated that drunk semi-truck driver that crashed into my moms' car about a month ago." He dug his nails into his palms until his knuckles turned white.

May sat there, her eyes wide with horror. "You…you never told me….your mom died."

Drew wasn't listening. His chest ached unbearably from the resurfaced emotions. All the things he wasn't able to deal with…..they were all the things that were bottled up inside of him. All of the things that had come together to make the black hole that was slowly destroying him, from the inside out. A single tear leaked from his clenched eyes, dropping onto his scarred arm. As soon as May saw it she hugged him, trying to stop the breakdown she knew was coming. He had bottled up all those emotions, and now they were all coming back.

Drew shuddered as he tried to keep the tears from falling. And just when he thought he had it under control, May asked him a question he didn't know how to answer.

"Drew…what about the last three? What happened that made you do that?" She rubbed his back, trying to keep him calm so he could talk.

"_He_ happened!" Drew hissed, unable to control the rage that was filling his heart.

"What? Who? What are you talking about?" May pulled back to look at his face. It was clearly displaying his fury at this person whom she did not know (A/N: Well, she does know him, but she doesn't know that she does! Er…if that makes any sense…).

Drew looked away and his expression went blank. He couldn't tell her, not now. It was too late, and he had no intention of ruining the friendship that had built up over the years. He glanced back at May when he noticed her face light up with realization. She knew.

"Oooooh!!! It's a girl, isn't it?!" She squealed with excitement.

Oh wait. She shouldn't be excited. Drew liked someone. He liked another girl, which meant that her feelings would never be returned. May tried to remain happy on the outside, but on the inside she wilted and died. Her deepest love was officially one-sided. He loved this other girl, who had a boyfriend she loved. That got May ticked off. How could any girl in her right mind not like Drew!? Well, he was arrogant at times, and very egotistical, but that was beside the point! He could be really sweet when he wanted to be…

"So? Who is she?" May was attempting to sound jovially curious, but her tone fell flat. She was definitely _not _jovial or curious. Well, maybe a little curious, seeing as how she could find this girl and beat some sense into her for being utterly oblivious to Drew and his feelings. That could be fun…

"Er…..uh, you wouldn't know her." Drew was hoping May wouldn't see through his lie. He was horrible when it came to lying in front of May.

"Well…..would I know the guy?" She prodded, not able to contain the sleuth that wished to know anything and everything about these people.

"Uhhh….maybe?" Shoot. He just couldn't keep lying! And now she would guess it.

May looked thoughtful for a moment and then she laughed, but to her it sounded hollow and fake.

"How would I know the guy? I mean, I only know about five other guys beside you and Brendan!" Drew winced when she said _his _name, but thankfully she didn't see. "And as far as I know they are pitiful and dateless." She smiled for real this time, and it made Drew's heart lurch with his secret passion.

His basic guy instincts were all pushing him to just flat out kiss her, but he was Drew. He had to restrain himself for the sake of friendship and her relationship with Brendan. I mean, he did have enough scruples to respect the bond that they had made. Pfft, he was being so chivalrous today. May blinked in alarm and Drew turned to see what she was staring at. The pancake he had forgotten about was beginning to smoke from being in the pan to long. Oops. Well, such a strong attraction to someone else tends to make one forget about the pancakes they were making, no?

Breakfast ended much too soon for the both of them, but neither were about to say anything. May remembered she had made plans with Brendan for the day, and now that it was nine-thirty she was going to be late. After ten minutes of begging Drew to stop cutting, she made him promise to call her if he felt the need to do it again. Five minutes later she was out the door and gone, leaving Drew to feel empty and sick to his stomach. She had to leave to be with _him._ Next weekend would be it.

He had to spend some quality time with her soon or he would go nuts. They hadn't done anything for almost two months, and it left them both irritated and bored. Well, at least May had a distraction, but then she ended up having a fight with the distraction and she would sit on her bed feeling terribly guilty and alone. She wanted Drew, not Brendan. He was sweet and funny, but he just wasn't Drew.

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_Four days later (Thursday)_

Drew slammed the front door and leaned against it, gripping his torso and sliding down into a sitting position. He saw them. He them, and they were kissing. The hole in his chest burned and ripped itself open even further, with such an aggravating slowness that he thought he would go insane. Every time he tried to close his eyes and forget the image of their lips locked made his breath come short and haggard as pain viciously clawed at his battered heart. He needed something to drink, thinking it might help calm him down.

Drew staggered to the kitchen and grabbed a glass. He walked over to the sink to get some water, and just as he was about to turn the facet something shiny caught his eye. He turned his head to see what it was, and when his eyes fell upon the knife he had used to slice tomatoes that morning the glass fell from his hand and shattered on the floor. His mind was screaming for relief, and the knife called out to his flesh. In two quick strides he grabbed the knife from the counter and gripped the handle, preparing to carry out his urge right there.

But then he thought. If he spilled blood in the kitchen, it would most likely get all over the floor, and he would have a horrible time cleaning it up. When he all but sprinted to the bathroom he caught the phone on his way by and knocked it off the hook and onto the floor. And then his promise to May echoed in his mind. _'May…'_ He shook his head when the image of her kissing _him _resurfaced. Snatching the phone from the floor he ran into the bathroom and slammed the door. Sinking to his knees he pressed the flat of the blade to his wrist, trying to stop the fight he was waging with himself.

Part of his brain told him to do it, to forget May and her damn boyfriend and just get it over with. The other side was telling him, reminding him how she had begged him to call if he had the urge to cut again. _'DAMN IT!!!!!' _An enraged growl rumbled up from his chest, and just to get his brain to stop thinking he dialed the phone and May picked up on the second ring. Lord, if that boy had picked up the phone bad things would have happened. Very, very bad things.

"Hello?"

"May!!" Drew let out a breath of relief. Her voice calmed him instantly.

"Hey Drew! What's up?"

"May, I….I mean, you…..augh, I need you to get over here _now._"

"What? Why? What's wrong?" She sounded worried.

"I can't….I need to do it. I have to! May, please!"

"Oh….oh, god. Drew, wait until I get there, just please wait!" _Click._

As much as he wanted to just get it over with, he couldn't. He promised May he would call her. He promised he wouldn't do it. But she….she was more important than what he wanted, promises to her were more important than the air needed to breathe. But the cool flat of the blade against his flesh was taunting. He tilted it so the edge was pressed firmly on his skin, and sweat broke out on his forehead. He wanted the relief. He wanted it _now._

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Okay everyone! Tell me what you think! I'm still debating whether I should turn this into a chapter story or just wrap it up as a two-shot. Please voice your opinion! I need to know what you as the readers want this to be, so review! And if you have any suggestions, questions, or spelling corrections please feel free to tell me. And I really hope I got the right name for Brendan. I'm too lazy to get off my butt and check to see if I have the right name, so if I'm wrong just yell at me or something. I'll get it right next time. Thanks for reading!

Mistoffelees Shadow


	2. Close Call

**Disclaimer****- **Please refer back to the first chapter.

Close Call

May dropped the phone into its receiver and was out the door just seconds later. She cursed herself for letting Brendan borrow her car. Of course, she figured she wouldn't need it that day after her date with him. His own vehicle was in for repairs and he needed hers to get to work. She sprinted down the street and praised the Lord that the city was small and not over populated. She also rejoiced for the fact that Drew lived three streets down from her.

She dodged around an old man who was out walking his dog and nearly collided with a little kid on his skate board. He yelled at her in a very childlike manner and told her to watch where she was going, but May wasn't paying attention. Her sole objective now was to get to Drew before it was too late.

_'Please Drew, wait for me!'_

Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes and blurred her vision, causing her to stumble and fall. She ignored the pain in her knee and hands, focusing only on her goal. She had to stop him, she just had to. Ever since the first day they had met in a park of green and sun she had felt something towards the cocky boy. That was seven years ago, but she remembered it as if it were only yesterday.

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_A twelve year old May tossed a Frisbee high in the air, cheering for her little brother when he caught it. Their game of catch went on uninterrupted for some time after, the chirping of birds their only company._

_"Good job Max! Come on, throw it back to me!" _

_"Yeah, yeah, I'm goin'!" The boy tossed the flying disc back to his sister, but a gust of wind carried it over her head._

_"__Too high! Wait, where'd it go?" May spun around, searching for the bright red toy._

_"__Hey, are you looking for this?" A green-haired boy stepped out of the bushes behind May and held the red Frisbee up, his eyebrow quirked in amusement._

_"Yes! Thanks! What's you name?" May smiled and took the Frisbee from his hand when he offered it, her gratitude evident._

_"Drew. And yours?" He flipped his bangs out of his eyes stuffed his hands on his pockets._

_"I'm May, and this is my brother Max. Do you wanna play Frisbee with us?" She tilted her head in question._

_"Yeah sure, why not." He shrugged and May handed him the Frisbee, her smile widening. _

_"Great, you get first throw!"_

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She remembered going to the ice cream parlor afterwards, laughing when her brother started a whipped cream war with Drew. She was dragged into it, and all of them went home with sticky hands and faces. Drew was a constant sight with her from that time on, and Max began to tease her about it when he got older.

She was only two streets from his house now, her lungs burning and her legs begging to stop. But she refused to listen to her body, she would not slow down until she was on his doorstep. He meant too much to her, their bond was something she would give anything for.

May dashed across the street and cut through some person's yard, ignoring the snarl she received from an annoyed bulldog. Only one street to go. It felt like she had been running forever, and with every passing second her heart feared the worst had already happened.

_'Drew, you promised, please wait for me!'_

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The knife shook in his hands, and his chest ached something horrible. That image, it was forever burned into the back of his eyelids. Every time he tried to close his eyes, every time he tried to get away from the sight of that shiny blade, that picture would flash behind his lids. The emotional pain was staggering, he couldn't control the wretched tears that burned and leaked from his eyes.

She had kissed him, he had kissed her. That was something Drew wanted to be able to do ever since she first smiled at him. He had wanted to hold her like that ever since the first time he saw her cry. But no, he couldn't do anything. A friendly hand squeeze, a comforting smile, that was the limit to what he was permitted.

She had someone else, she loved someone else. Brendan was the one who could do those affectionate things for her, the only one who could kiss her. It was something Drew ached for so badly, but it was out of his reach. He was the best friend, he was the rock of unwavering support that she came to when something went wrong in a relationship that he wanted.

He bit his lip and clenched the handle of the knife, anger and hurt boiling inside him. The tang of blood touched his tongue, but he tried to ignore it. All he wanted was May. That's all he wanted. She was his only, she was the significant other he needed.

Something about the situation he was in jogged his memory, and he was taken back to a moment that he had tried to bury, tried to forget. It was something he would give anything to erase from history, a blight on his friendship with May.

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_Drew strolled through the __park where he had met May six__ years prior. The air was warm and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. It was a day that should've been remembered for good things. That wasn't what happened._

_"Drew! Hey, wait up!" The green haired boy turned to see Mat running after him, her hand waving in greeting._

_He stopped walking and waited for her to catch up,__ an amused smile toying with his lips. Her bubbly nature could do that to anyone really._

_"How's it going?" She was all smiles, more so than usual._

_"Good. What's with you today?" He quirked__a brow at her, receiving a confused look in return._

_"What do you mean?__"_

_"You're acting funny."_

_"I'm not acting funny! This is how I always am!" She propped her fists on her hips, obviously annoyed._

_"No, something's different. You're too happy."_

_"Too happy? What's wrong with being happy?"_

_"Happy is okay, you're too happy. All that extra smiling is really annoying."_

_"What?! Did you just call me annoying?"_

_He sighed. "You need to relax May. You're overreacting." He flipped his bangs out of his eyes and stuffed his hands into his pockets, a very common trait for the boy._

_"I am not overreacting!"_

_"Yes you are."_

_"Whatever!" She grouched and crossed her arms, pouting. Fighting wasn't something new to them. A day when they didn't quarrel over _something _was odd. _

_Silence relaxed the tension between the pair and when May dropped her hands to her sides Drew figured she was calm enough to talk to._

_"So what had you in such a happy mood?"_

_"It's not like you're really going to care."_

_"Try me."__She debated this for a while, and that overenthusiastic smile broke out on her face once more._

_"__I have__ a boyfriend!" Her squeal made it obvious that she was happy, and Drew stopped dead in his tracks._

_"What?"_

_"I said I have a boyfriend!" She grinned at him, but the joy wasn't shared._

_"Oh." He stared at the dirt, not quite sure what he should make of her declaration. _

_It wasn't like he had really thought about it before, the fact that she was attracting more of the male species now that she was older. He had always assumed that it would be__ just the two of them, that there would never be anything more than __their friendship. But now, now that had changed. She had found someone that she loved. Someone who would be there to make her happy, and that relationship was going to be more important to her than the friendship they had. _

_He didn't understand why it made him feel…..hurt? He couldn't tell. His eyes shadowed over and he almost felt the need to yell at her._

_"You were right."_

_"About what?"_

_"I don't care." He knew by the way she flinched that he had hurt her more than he had ever done in the past, but he couldn't let her know he felt just a little bit betrayed because she had found a guy in her life that was more important than he was._

_He forced himself to walk away, to not look at her face. He knew if he stayed for her reaction he wouldn't be able to handle it. He knew the look on her face would be so heartbreaking that__ he would probably do something stupid._

_So he just walked away without looking back._

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The memory was haunting and painful. He knew he should've at least smiled for her, he could've tried to be happy. But he wasn't, so he didn't try. He never really knew what made him so upset about her having a boyfriend at that time, but as days progressed he came to know. He loved her.

They didn't speak to each other for about a week after, and when they did their conversation was awkward and short. He tried to apologize for his actions once, but she just told him to forget about it. She said it wasn't right to rub it in his face like that, or something of the sort.

He managed to patch things up with her, and their friendship was once again a stable constant. The only difference was that May wasn't around as much. Almost all of her time was spent with Brendan. Drew watched from jealous eyes one day when he walked by the ice cream parlor and saw the lovebirds sharing a sundae. It made him sick.

He wanted to be the one she shared ice cream with. He tried to avoid places that May like to visit from then on out unless he was with her. He knew they would've been there, laughing and smiling at each other, holding hands…..it was too much for him to handle.

The silver blade pressed more firmly against his skin, and he knew it wouldn't take much more pressure to draw blood. He stared at his reflection in the metal, angry with himself. He was weak. He turned to pain when he needed an outlet. He could've gone to someone, he could've called May and talked to her the first time he ever felt like he needed to do this wretched thing, but he didn't.

He didn't think she of all people needed to share his burden, his sorrow. So, he took it upon himself to relieve his frustration. But now…...now May knew what he did. She knew he cut himself, and she was worried for him. The pressure of the blade on his skin relaxed ever so slightly. He was making her worry, he was causing her grief when she didn't need it. He was making her _sad._

The knife clattered to the tiled floor, unused.

The front door crashed open. Drew snapped to attention when he heard May calling for him.

"May? I'm right here, May!" He stood and opened the bathroom door just as the blue eyed brunette skidded to a halt in from of him.

"Drew!! Are you okay?!" She was breathing hard and her face was beat red. She looked like she was close to passing out from exhaustion.

"I'm fine….May, did you run all the way here?" She nodded.

"Brendan…has my car." She swayed slightly, and Drew grabbed her arm to give her some support.

"Come on, you should sit down." He took her by the shoulders and led her to the living room, seating her on the couch.

May relaxed and thumped back against the cushion, her eyes studying him. For some time they sat like that before Drew attempted to break the silence.

"May….I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you worry, you deserve to be spending time with him, not watching over me like this. I can handle it."

Her hand shot out and grabbed his wrist, yanking it forward and exposing the brutal cuts and scars.

"Drew, if this is what you mean by 'you can handle it' then I'm not going to run off with Brendan! I'd never be able to forgive myself if…..if you….needed me and I wasn't there…." She stared at the floor, her eyes cloudy.

"I can take care of myself, May." It hurt him to say those words with such a bitter tone, but he had to. He had to make her leave and forget him so she could be happy. All he did was make her cry.

"What?"

"I said I can take care of myself, I don't need your help. I won't be such a burden anymore!" May's expression became angry as she stood from the couch, her hands shaking.

"How could you say that? You think you're a burden?! Drew, you think you don't need anyone because you're so arrogant! If you would just relax and lean on someone every once and a while life wouldn't be so hard! I always had our friendship when I was having rough times, don't you think it would work the same way for you? I just want to be there for you, like you were for me. Please Drew, don't push me away!" Hot tears spilled from her eyes and her whole body was shaking with pent up emotion.

Drew just sat there, his eyes wide. He truly didn't know what to say.

"May……" He stood and enveloped her in a tight embrace, a grateful smile turning his lips. "Thank you."

May wrapped her arms around him, silent tears soaking into his shirt. It seemed like the only time they ever got to spend with each other was when something bad happened nowadays. When the tears stopped and Drew relaxed his grip they broke apart, both quite unwilling.

"Drew, promise me you won't scare me like that again. I almost got plowed over by some skateboarder!" She sniffled and gave him a weak smile.

He smiled in return and grasped her hands, giving them a reassuring squeeze.

"I promise, May."

"Why…..why did you break down like that, anyways?" She cocked her head and gave him a quizzical look.

Drew turned his head and stared at the carpet, unable to meet her gaze.

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Drew…."

"Please May, not now."

"But will you tell me when you're ready?"

"I will."

"Good." She nodded her head and smiled at him, her blue eyes bright again.

"So….do you have any plans? I mean, if you don't it'd be nice to spend some time together again." He scratched the back of his head, trying his best to remain casual.

"Well, Brendan is working late today, so I guess it's a date! Err….well, I mean…..you know what I mean!" Drew just laughed at her red face and turned to the kitchen.

"Come on, I've been wanting some cookies for a long time. Now that you're here, I'd better put you to work!" He smirked and she swatted him on the shoulder.

"I'll only help if we make chocolate chip cookies! You know they're my favorite……eep!!" Drew tossed a towel at her and it hit her square in the face. "Hey! What was that for!?"

"You were drooling. Now hurry up and wash your hands!" May scowled at him and turned the facet, scrubbing her hands thoroughly.

It wasn't long before they had forgotten about the entire cutting incident. The smell of baking cookies could do that to anyone. The two were busy cleaning up the mess when Drew got a devilish idea.

"Hey May?" He was currently working beside her to clean up a pile of spilled flour.

"What?" She turned to look at him.

"You've got some flour on your nose." He reached over and tweaked it, leaving white fingerprints on her face.

"Drew!!" He laughed as she rubbed away the powder, sneezing. "Oh, you think it's just so funny, don't you!" She grabbed a handful of the loose flour and tossed it at him, snorting when it poofed against his face, leaving him looking like a ghost.

"Hey!" He threw a handful back, and it wasn't long before they had gotten into a full-blown flour faceoff.

Five minutes later they were covered in white, and it appeared as if it had snowed in the kitchen.

"I won." Drew proclaimed with a smirk, sitting in a heavily floured chair.

"You did not!" May barked from her position on the floor.

"I did too. You have a lot more flour on you than I have on me." He said smugly, flipping his hair. A small dusting of flour was rustled from his bangs when he did so and it settled on his nose.

"How can you tell? From my point of view _you're _the one who's covered in more flour!" She folded her arms across her chest indignantly.

"No, I'll show you." Drew dragged her off the floor and pulled her down the hallway and into the bathroom.

The two stood in front of the body mirror and examined each other, trying to figure out who had more flour on their person.

"Well…..I hate to admit it but it looks like a tie." May shrugged stared at the mirror a while longer.

"Humph. I still won." Drew spun on his heel and exited the bathroom, followed by May who rolled her eyes.

_Men._

Drew produced two glasses from the cupboard and set them on the table, filling them each with milk. It wasn't long before the cookies were done and May pulled the tray out of the oven, taking an indulgent whiff of the newly made treats. They were soon served up on a plate and set out on the table, steaming with chocolate chippy goodness. May grabbed a cookie and dunked it in her glass, groaning when she took a bite. They were delicious! Drew smiled and took a cookie as well, choosing to eat it as it was.

Just like old times.

The two worked their way through the plate of cookies, chatting comfortably and relaxing. When the final crumb was eaten and the last drop of milk drained from the glass May and Drew sighed and stared at the kitchen. It was a mess. May stood and brushed herself off, adding to the white powder coating the floor. She grabbed the dishrag from the sink and began to wipe down table, humming to herself.

Drew shook his head and shrugged, heading off to find the mop. Well, it was better to clean it now when he had help than to wait and clean up by himself. He sighed. His house always seemed a bit more lonely when May left. Drew grabbed the mop from the closet and headed back to the kitchen.

He came upon the flour covered war zone just in time. May slipped on a particularly thick coating of flour and fell backwards, gasping in shock. Drew was right there to catch her, his eyes wide with alarm.

"Are you okay May?"

"I'm fine! I guess I'm just a klutz." She blushed slightly and stood up, Drew supporting her with a hand.

"Be more careful, idiot." He relaxed and calmed his frayed nerves, assuring herself that she was okay.

"Yeah, yeah…" She rolled her eyes and continued to wipe away the flour on the table, rinsing out her washrag every now and again.

The two worked in a comfortable silence to clean up the mess, content with the presence of one another. When they had managed to clean the entire kitchen until it was spotless Drew returned the mop to the closet, glad to be getting rid of the thing.

"Hey, Drew, I think I should be getting home now. It's starting to get dark and I want to make it back before Brendan gets home with my car." She glanced out the window, clearly annoyed with the rapidly setting sun.

"Oh don't worry, I'll drive you home. It's not like I have anything else to do." He shrugged and grabbed his car keys off of the counter, heading for the door.

"Really? Thanks Drew, I'd rather not have to walk home in the dark!" She smiled and followed him.

"It's not a problem."

The car ride to Mays house was uneventful, and when they arrived her car was parked and waiting in front of the house.

"Oh no." She breathed and ran her fingers through her hair, obviously bothered by the sight of her vehicle.

"What's wrong?"

"I told Brendan I'd be here when I got back."

"So? It's not like he's going to freak out or anything."

"Drew, you don't get it. The last time I told him I'd be home when he got there I was out back tending to my garden. When I came inside again he-"

"May!! Where have you been?! I've been trying to find you for the past fifteen minutes!" Brendan threw open the door of the house and jogged out to where Drew and May were standing.

"It's okay, I was just over at Drew's place. I missed seeing my friends, that was all. I didn't mean to make you worry." She smiled gently and stepped forward, grabbing Brendan by the hand.

Drew felt a pang of jealousy in his gut as he stared at their fingers twined together. The ache in his chest returned, but he tried to maintain his composure while he was in front of May. She didn't need to worry any more about him.

"Next time you decide to wander off maybe you should call me at work and let me know what you're doing! He tugged on her hand and led her back to the house, not even bothering to acknowledge Drew's presence.

"I'll see you later Drew!" She waved back at him and stumbled on behind Brendan.

Drew waved in return and offered her a smile before she disappeared into the house. As soon as she was gone, however his face blanked out and he walked back to his car, chest aching. Brendan seemed a bit more….possessive since he had seen him last. The look in Mays eyes seemed almost helpless.

There was something wrong with that relationship. It just didn't seem right.

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Alright everybody! I finally posted again! (Wee!) You might have been noticing all my new one-shots popping up, and you've probably also been wondering why it's taking so long for me to update. Well, one-shots don't require nearly as much commitment as chappie fics, and I'm also a very bad procrastinator. Yes, bad author! Anywho, I hope you enjoyed the second chapter!! I actually had a bit of fun writing it, even though it kind of jumped around a lot.

I'll try to update quicker next time, sorry!! Please forgive me…..encouraging reviews will get me going faster, so feel free to leave a nice little message before you leave! Thanks for all of your support you guys, I really appreciate it! I actually didn't expect to get so many reviews the first chapter….thanks!

Yummy chocolate chip cookies for all who leave a nice review! And our wonderful Drew will even bake them with love…aw. XD Thanks again for reading! I WILL UPDATE SOONER!! HOORAH!!

Mistoffelees Shadow


	3. French Vanilla

**Disclaimer****-** Dude, I already _told_ you, I don't own anything! Do you like, randomly skip chapters and stuff just for fun to see if I made sure to post a carefully worded disclaimer on _every single one?!?!_ Well, I hate to say it, but you're weird. I know, boohoo for you.

French Vanilla

--

Drew collapsed on his bed and buried his face in his hands. His life was such a mess, and judging by the way things were going he didn't know if it would ever get better. He drifted into a restless sleep, images of Brendan dragging May away flashing behind his eyelids.

---------------------------------

_There she was, smiling at him. For him. Her beautiful blue eyes sparkled with her bubbly warmth, and it made him smile. _

_'May.' He whispered her name and moved forward, wishing so badly that he could hold her._

_The brunette giggled and walk/skipped over to him in that unique little way of hers. When they were but inches apart Drew wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent. He felt May rest her small hands on his back, and he sighed in content. This was how this was how things were supposed to be._

_'I'm going away, Drew.' She whispered quietly, and he lifted his head to give her a confused look._

_'What? Why?'_

_May smiled and brandished her left hand, a diamond ring glittering brilliantly on her finger. __For a moment Drew didn't understand. That wasn't his ring, so why was it there? It didn't belong if he hadn't--oh. Oh, no, no, no…..it was _his_ ring. Drew stared at the band, horror stricken. This couldn't be happening._

_'Brendan wants to marry me! Isn't that great!?' He smiled faltered, and then she looked away, guilt marring her pretty features. 'But…'_

_'But, what?' _

_'You aren't allowed to come to the wedding. Brendan doesn't want you there. In fact, this…this is the last time I'll ever be able to see you. So, I guess this is goodbye….forever.' Tears welled in her eyes, but she smiled at him and pulled away. She began to back away, and it finally clicked in Drew's mind what was happening._

_'Wait, no, May! Don't go!' He reached for her, but shackles held his wrists and ankles, preventing him from going anywhere._

_'May!'_

_She ran, and then Brendan appeared at her side. They embraced, and then Brendan yelled and backhanded May across the face. Drew flinched and watched her go down, her hands pressed to her cheek. She began to cry, laying there on the ground. __Brendan kicked her hard in the gut__, laughing cruelly. He then walked away and left her there, clutching her stomach and sobbing._

_'No, May…MAY!!' Drew pulled against the shackles, but it was no use. He couldn't get free._

_Brendan returned and pulled May to her feet, whispering harsh words and shoving her forward. Drew watched helplessly as May suddenly appeared in a church, dressed all in white and walking down the aisle. Brendan stood at the altar, a deceivingly kind smile on his lips. The two exchanged vows and then Brendan pushed May into a sleek black car. She looked so lost and broken, her eyes dull and lifeless.__ No one noticed the __fist-sized __bruise on her upper arm. __The image faded, and a new one took its place. There was the same church, but now everyone was dressed in black._

_A long, polished white casket lay open at the front of the church, and in it was May, the heavy makeup unable to conceal the bruises on her face and neck. Drew felt bitter tears burn in his __eyes__ and the aching in his chest returned full force. _

_'May…please, no…' He then cried out in heartbroken anguish, pulling against his chains. _

_She was dead, and he wasn't able to save her._

_--------------------------------_

Drew shot up out of bed, drenched in a cold sweat. He was breathing hard, and a picture of May in the snow white casket flashed in his mind.

"No!" He gripped the bed sheets, and began to panic.

Was it only a dream? It had been so real, he didn't know now. Was this the dream and that the reality, or was it the other way around? Drew pushed away the cool sheets and headed to the bathroom. He flicked on the light and stared at himself in the mirror. There were dark bags under his deep green eyes, and he looked as if he had seen in ghost.

Well, in a way, he had.

He turned the facet on the sink and splashed his face with cold water. There was no way he would be going back to sleep any time soon. He thought about calling May. _'It was only a dream.'_ He reassured himself, but he just needed that little bit of confirmation. He needed to know she was okay.

Drew left the bathroom and headed to the phone, her phone number popping into his head. It would just be a quick phone call, that was it. There was nothing weird about needing to call her in the middle of the night. Everybody called their friends a few times when they probably should have been sleeping…right? Drew dialed her number and waited as the phone rang, his eyes cast towards the ceiling. It was then that something dawned on him.

What the heck was he going to say?

--------------------------------

"Nnn…I'll get it." May rubbed her eyes and plodded to the kitchen, half asleep.

She and Brendan were watching a movie, snuggled into the old worn out couch in her living room. It was late, and the last thing she remembered before drifting off was some maniac stabbing the main characters' boyfriend with a rusty screwdriver. Really, scary movies were so overrated. Everything was about blood and gore these days! Whatever happened to the actual suspense and thrill of some terrifying plotline? Gone. It was all about how much death, violent killing scenes, and maniacal freaky laughter of some deranged person you could fit into the span of two or three hours.

"Tell them you're busy." Brendan watched her retreat to the kitchen. Phone calls were so annoying, especially when he was trying to relax and watch some good, old-fashioned blood shed. Was that so wrong?

"What if it's important?"

"Well, think about it then. Would you rather spend your night watching a movie with me, sharing popcorn, and enjoying our time together or talk to one of your overly chatty little girlfriends while I sit here missing you?" May sighed. He always had a strange way of trying to be romantic.

"I'll be done as soon as I can." She smiled sleepily and picked up the phone, muttering a tired hello.

_'May?'_ She perked up a bit when she heard Drew's voice on the other end.

"Oh, hi mom!" She covered the phone with her hand and turned to Brendan, who was watching her from the couch. "This will only take a minute, okay? You know I don't get to talk to my mom very often." She smiled when her boyfriend sighed and waved her away.

_'Mom? May, did you just wake up or something? It's Drew.'_

May walked into her bedroom and closed the door, plopping down on her bed.

"I know who you are; I just didn't want Brendan to know I was talking to another guy while I'm supposed to be watching a movie with him. He gets so jealous sometimes…" She tried to sound lighthearted about it, but it wasn't so convincing. It was hard to forget the last time Brendan lost his head over her socializing with another male.

_'Oh.'_ Drew frowned when she said this, but didn't question her about it. He didn't need to interfere in a relationship that May was content with. I mean, she was smart enough to get out of it if she was being mistreated or something, right?

"So, what'd you call for? Are you feeling alright?"

_'I'm fine. I just…I just had a bad feeling about something earlier, but it's nothing. If you really want to get back to your movie, I won't hold you up.'_

"No, that's okay! I…I haven't really got time to chat with my friends a lot, so I don't mind missing a little bit of the movie to talk to you."

_'What do you __mean;__ you haven't got time to chat with your friends? You have half the day to do whatever you want after your shift at the coffee shop. I don't think _everyone_ you know is that busy. I'm usually free, being that I'm home all day. I really should get a job though, even if all the money my father left me paid for the house and the bills.'_

"I, well…never mind. I just have a lot of stuff to do around here. You know, cleaning!"

_'Right. Cleaning.'_

Drew had a sneaking suspicion that her busyness had something to do with Brendan, the _boyfriend._

"So, if you're looking for a job and all, you could work a shift at the coffee shop! It would be fun! And it'd help keep you busy, you know."

_'Yeah, maybe I'll look into it. Hey, do you remember that one time when we went fishing and you fell into the pond?'_

"Yeah! That wasn't funny! I was all wet, and I had to walk home like that! And there you were, you couldn't stop laughing, you jerk." She grumbled, but a smile was spread across her face. She hadn't caught one fish that day.

_'Hn, you're just jealous because I caught __a trout and you got nothing!' _

There was that arrogance again. It was almost like old times.

"Hey, I would've caught something if I'd had more time to fish! You know I had to go home and get dry or I'd catch a cold or something!"

_'Right. Excuses, excuses.'_ Smirk.

"Drew! You're so hard-headed, you know that!?" She scowled, even if he couldn't see it.

_'Like I said, you're just jealous. Anyway, I just wondered if maybe you wanted to go fishing again sometime, you know, if you aren't busy, cleaning or something.'_

"Yeah, that would be fun. I'll see if I can make room in my plans for you." She smiled, but inwardly she was sighing.

She wanted to go fishing with Drew. Really, if he had asked her to go skydiving or even mountain climbing, she would go and try to ignore the fact that she was deathly afraid of heights. But, there was Brendan. He would be upset with her if she went fishing with Drew. He would think she was cheating on her or something, and it made her feel so guilty. She really did care about him, even if he lost his temper sometimes. Under all that and his jealousy he could be a really sweet guy.

_'Hey, if you're too busy, that's alright. I can understand if you've already got plans with Brendan.'_ Drew hesitated. He heard the note of apprehension in May's voice. The one that was there every time Brendan was holding her back.

"No, really, I want to go! I'm sure Brendan will be okay with it! How about this coming Saturday? That's my day off from the coffee shop, so we could stay out at the pond and fish! No worries, no other commitments, it'd be great. And this time I won't fall in!" She laughed at the memory.

_'Really? Hey, I'll get my gear out of the closet if you mean it. I haven't really been out relaxing for a while. So, is it set then?'_

"Yep! I'll meet you at the pond at nine o'clock! Don't be late!" She smiled, her thoughts already wandering to Saturday. She couldn't wait.

_'Alright, see you there. I'm going to get some __sleep;__ I'm getting up early to go see the opening of the new salon down the street from my house. I've heard the ladies working there have come from other businesses, and they're really good at what they do. I'm just going to evaluate their expertise.'_

May smiled and nodded, and then she realized that Drew really couldn't see her.

"Okay, tell me what you think. I might go there next time I want to get my hair done."

_'Yeah, alright. Later, May.'_

"Bye."

She clicked the phone off and sighed. He really had nothing to do, did he? She had to hang out with him more, or maybe help him find some new buddies so she wouldn't feel so guilty for leaving him alone to sit around all day. She'd have to help him get his résumé ready so that he could get a job at the coffee shop. He needed it.

"May, are you done yet? I know you haven't talked to your mom in a while, but we're watching a movie! Can't you call her later?" Brendan knocked on the door. He sounded a little annoyed.

"Oh, sorry, I'm done!" She jumped off the bed and rushed out, smiling at her impatient boyfriend. He sighed and turned, heading back to the living room.

"Well, c'mon then. We haven't found out if that guy is dead yet or not." May nodded and returned the phone to its receiver, tossing a glance at the calendar. There was nothing going on Saturday, so her outing with Drew was safe. For now.

----------------------------

"Right. The salon. The one that's been open for a week now. Yeah." He forked his fingers through his mess of green hair, noting that he _did_ need a haircut. "Lame…"

Yes, getting a job would be a major benefit. Even more extra money and less 'sit-and-think-about-May' time. Drew dropped the phone back on the receiver and walked to his bedroom and prepared to search his closet. His very messy, very scary closet. He took a breath of preparation before he swung the creaky door open wide, only to be whacked on the head by the end of his fishing pole. Apparently the stuff in his closet had settled like dust, and the pole ended up being propped against the door.

Drew grabbed his fishing pole and tossed it on his bed before he started digging around for his dads' old tackle box. The grey-green plastic was coated in a thin layer of dust, and when he opened it the smell was that of hooks and lures that had gone without cleaning the last time they were used.

"Well, I guess I'm going to need to get some bait." He smiled ever so softly, enjoying the little bubble of contentment that had settled in his chest. In three days, he would be fishing with May. _Three days._

He shoved all his crap back in the closet and decided that cleaning it out would be a good thing to do on one of those days when he was bored out of his skull and was having a hard time staying on the right track of mind. At the moment he couldn't believe how easy it was for him to fall into that pit of sorrow that lurked around every corner, just waiting for him to think about the wrong thing.

Drew shook his head, shut the creaky closet door, and headed to the kitchen. He would be content for a while just to clean his fishing gear. The gear he would be using to go fishing with May. Smile.

----------------------------

Friday rolled around and so far Drew's list of 'Things I Have Done to Stay Busy' had grown quite considerably:

Cleaned tackle, went back to bed (at dawn) with happy bubble still intact.

Got hair trimmed, decided ladies at the salon were very good but _very_ air-headed. May would like them.

Reorganized closet, got rid of nasty old socks that were hiding under a half-crushed box. Closet doesn't smell like old sweaty feet any more.

Rearranged furniture in living room, learned how to make scones from Jeff the Master Chef.

Thoroughly cleaned kitchen and cupboards after a failed attempt at making Jeff's 'Raspberry Party Shakes'. Taped reminder on blender that leaving the room while the lid was off was a bad idea.

Discovered a strange array of colorful molds growing on wet boxes in the basement. Fixed leaky pipe, tossed old wet boxes, drove like a mad person to the doctors to get rabies shot after angry rat bit hand.

Drew read over the list and rubbed the sore bite marks on his hand. Stupid rat. He hoped that the giant tower of falling junk crushed it when he was finishing cleaning his basement. He noticed the healing cut on his arm hand become nothing more than an angry red line. He was actually proud of himself, because he hadn't even looked at his cutlery since the last 'incident'. He was too preoccupied with other things, and the prospect of fishing with May cleared out all those depressing thoughts. He was beginning to feel better, but it would take some more time before he could confidently say the emotional black hole in his chest was gone.

He wasted a good hour watching the news, and when the weatherman said it would be cloudy the next day his heart sunk just a little bit. He hoped it wouldn't rain, because that might mean he wouldn't be able to go fishing. No outing with May. He flicked off the television and grabbed his jacket. It was the middle of summer, but the morning was still cool. That's what you got for living up north.

Drew grabbed an apple from the bowl on the counter and headed outside, deciding he would go grab a cup of coffee and then go to the mall. He heard there was a good thriller playing on the big screen. A little girl was playing with her baby brother in their front lawn, and when she saw Drew she smiled big and waved.

"Hey mister, do you wanna come play with us?" She waved a hot pink Frisbee and looked at him expectantly. Apparently her little brother just wanted to run away with the disc and had no idea how to actually throw it.

He shrugged. It wasn't like he had any thing else to do. He played with the kids for a good ten minutes or more before their mother called them into the house. She thanked him and quietly told her kids that she couldn't afford to have them catch cold again. Their father was the only one who worked, and they didn't have a lot of money. Drew watched them go in the house, and as he left the yard he pulled his ID, credit card, twenty bucks, and a picture of him and May out of his wallet and left the folded leather in the mailbox. He didn't really need all that extra cash anyways.

By the time he walked into the coffee shop it was almost eleven o'clock, and his jacket was draped over his shoulder. He grabbed a newspaper from the small rack by the door and seated himself at a small round table. He was halfway through an article about the preservation of the local park when a waitress popped up beside his table.

"Hi Drew! What's up?" May smiled at him, a small tablet and pencil in her hand. A hand full of stirring straws were thrust in her black apron pocket, and a towel was draped over her shoulder. It must've been her shift today.

"Just here for some coffee. Are you ready to go fishing tomorrow?"

"Yup! And this time I'll definitely catch more than you!" Her smile widened with her confidence.

"Tch, not a chance. You'll never be able to fish better than I can May, you know that." He flipped his bangs coolly and gazed steadily up at her from his chair.

"Hmph. You're so egotistical!" She propped her fists on her hips and scowled at him, and he smirked back, fueling her annoyance. "Just tell me what you want." She rolled her eyes and lifted the pad of paper and waited, pencil ready to write.

"I'd like a French vanilla and a bagel, please." He eased back in his seat as May wrote his order down, and then returned to his newspaper when she nodded and walked away.

Five minutes later a plain white coffee mug slid across the table towards him, and a wonderful looking bagel followed. Drew muttered thanks to whoever brought the coffee and brought the cup to his lips, sipping carefully. He almost groaned. It was wonderful coffee, no doubt about that. He took an absentminded bite of his bagel while he worked on a crossword puzzle, his head not really focused on what he was doing. The wonderful French vanilla aroma that wafted up from his mug was so…distracting.

"So, how's the coffee?"

"Hn…?" Drew blinked and looked up at May, who was now smiling down at him.

"Coffee?"

"Oh, it's really good. Who makes this stuff?"

"Well, I had to work the machine today, so I guess that would be me!" Drew blinked, and then took another sip from his steaming mug.

"Right. You, make coffee this good?" He quirked a brow in amusement, knowing that what he just said would really piss her off.

"What?! You don't think I can make good coffee??" She growled, her fists propped on her hips.

"Got that right. I've never seen you this good at _anything_. Well, except being a waitress. I'll give you that much." He smirked, and enjoyed the frustrated look on May's face.

"Drew! ...augh!! Fine, if that's what you think, then I'll just have to come over to your place tomorrow and make you some pre-fishing coffee. That'll show you!" She smiled victoriously, and took a step back when Drew finished off his coffee and stood from the table. They both had missed their comfortable quarrels.

"I'll be looking forward to it." Then, something extremely strange happened.

His arrogant expression softened into something much more tender. His arm wrapped around May's waist, and she instinctively laid her palms flat on his chest. Drew leaned forward, his deep, evergreen eyes burning intensely.

And then, he kissed her.

Time just seemed to stop. Everything in May's world was on fire. It was such an alien feeling, but she loved it. This _never_ happened when she kissed Brendan. She thought that that mild warmth she got from him was what love felt like. But this, this was _so much more_. Burning, pulsing, radiant, _passionate. _

Drew rested his free hand on the side of May's face, and then gently pushed back her bangs with his fingers. _Beautiful._ She was all he really wanted. To hell with the coffee, to hell with Brendan, fishing, knives, pain, heartache, and that girl he dated in eighth grade. May was all he really, _really_ wanted.

The need for oxygen broke them apart, and all they could do was just look at each other. Really, really look at each other. This was the first time Drew had ever noticed how extremely _deep_ May's eyes looked, how truly wonderful they were. And May, well, she never knew the green haired boy had such _emotion._ It was an invigorating experience for her, to say the least.

Drew blinked, and the thought of Brendan walking in on them melted his confidence. His hand lingered on her cheek for a moment as he took a step away from the beauty he had just kissed. She seemed to wilt, and her blue eyes pleaded with him not to leave. He smiled softly, and his hand dropped to his side.

"See you tomorrow, May." He walked out the door of the little coffee shop, and May could only stand there, even when her fellow waitress whistled appreciatively from behind her.

"That was _hot,_ girlfriend! Who's your hunk of pretty little man meat? That wasn't Brendan, was it? Damn! I wish I could catch a guy as fine as that." The girl shook her head and laughed, returning to the floor.

May still couldn't move. She pressed her fingers to her lips. He tasted _so good_…..like….

French vanilla.

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Zomg!! I loved writing the end of that. The beginning was crap, though. And the middle. I'm really, _really_ sorry I haven't updated!! I know, I'm horrible. Procrastination should be labeled as a disease or something. I swear to all of you that I will post the next chapter soon. And I don't mean like, 'two months' soon. I mean like, 'two weeks or less' soon. I swear!! No, I promise!!! You have the right to tar and feather me if I don't post within the next two weeks. But, in return, I ask that all of you lurkers out there review this chapter or the next one!! Please!! I'll send Drew's special coffee kisses to everyone who reviews…..-wink- XD

Thankies for being patient!! I'm sorry again for being such a lazy person!! In the words of Boxer: I will work harder!! ….well, he said something like that. I'm not crazy, I just love Boxer, this big old horse from the book Animal Farm. Anywho, please review!! Hey, that rhymed! XD

Mistoffelees Shadow

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---By the way, spell check is telling me that 'much more tender' should actually be 'much tenderer'. 'Tenderer' is not even an effing word!! I tried to use it and spell check said I was wrong!! What kind of stupid crap is this!?! . 


	4. Issues

**Disclaimer-** Don't even ask.

Issues

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Saturday morning. No work. Lots and lots of free time to do nothi…..oh. Wait, she was fishing today! Fishing with Drew. May pressed her fingers to her mouth, a fuzzy warm blush spreading across her cheeks. She recalled the smoldering look in his eyes just before he left the coffee shop. That memory alone made her heart melt, even if it wasn't nearly as good as experiencing the real thing. She hurried out of bed and skipped to the bathroom, her heart light. Today was going to be a day to remember, she just knew it.

The warm shower only added to the pleasant atmosphere of the morning, and as May fixed her hair up under a denim colored bandana she hummed happily to herself. Just as she was pulling on a pair of paint splattered jean capris the doorbell rang, and she hurried out of the bathroom. She checked the clock on her way past the kitchen, and frowned in puzzlement. Drew was the only one that was scheduled to pay a visit today, and if it was him, he was awfully early. A thought struck her, and May prayed to anyone that would listen that Brendan hadn't come a calling.

"Hello?" She pulled open the door.

"Hey May, I have the day off today, so I figured we could spend a day and ya know, hang out." There was Brendan in a blue tee and cargo pants, his shoulders relaxed and his hands in his pockets.

May cherished the laid-back demeanor he exhibited at the moment, because as soon as she spoke he'd fly into one hell of a fury. She smiled guiltily, stalling for time. She had to be _very, very _careful when she told him she already had plans. With another guy. Yes, very careful_ indeed_.

--------------------------------

Okay, the gear was in the car, the picnic lunch was packed, and he had plenty of extra towels in case of an accident. Drew checked the time. He wasn't due at May's house for another hour, so he plopped down on the couch and tried to watch the tube. But all he could seem to focus on was that stupid, _stupid_ thing he did. Would she still even want to hang out with him after he freaking lip-locked her in public?! He forked his fingers through his hair and flipped his bangs out of his eyes. Maybe they could just act like it never happened and move on with their lives. At least, he hoped so.

Jeff the Master Chef was going on about how precise the cooking time had to be when making the perfect Brigadeiro.

_'These are perfect for any __finger food party. Your Brigadeiros will be no less than fabulous if you follow this simple recipe!'_

Drew rolled his eyes and propped his head in his hand. Yeah, his cooking skills had improved tremendously because of Jeff the Master Chef, but the guy was a fruitcake. A fruitcake that had the magic touch when it came to cooking. Drew didn't think much of it when his head slid out of his hand and rested on the arm of the couch. And he wasn't really thinking at all when his eyes drooped shut, and sleep crept up on him like a devious little cat.

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"May! How could you make plans with this, this _loser_ without even telling me!?"

"Drew is not a loser! He's my friend, and I don't get a lot of chances to hang out with my friends because of my job and my time with you, so I wanted a day to just, well, you know! Take a break!"

"I made sure I was completely free today just so I could relax with my girlfriend, and you turn around and tell me you already have plans!! You're supposed to be _my_ girl, May! You're not seeing him!! He'll ruin this, what we've got! Do you want that!? Answer me, May!"

May clenched her hands so hard that she went white-knuckled, and Brendan was staring at her furiously from the sofa. She had invited him in and sat him down, but now he was towering above her in a jealous rage. She discovered that no matter how gently you broke unfortunate news to Brendan, he would still blow up in your face. She could feel that familiar, creeping fear edging its way in on her anger, and beginning to push it aside. She knew she wouldn't be able to hold her ground much longer, because Brendan tended to lose control if she defied him for too long. She knew when his breaking point was by now, and had only pushed him to his limit once before. It wasn't a pleasant experience.

"Hanging out with my friends won't ruin us, Brendan. I promised Drew I'd go fishing with him today, and I won't go back on that."

"You also agreed to be my girlfriend May, and as far as I can see that takes priority over friends. You're not going fishing with him. In fact, he appears to be the reason behind the rift in our relationship, so I think it would be best if you stopped speaking with him altogether." Brendan folded his arms, a clear sign that he was not going to be lenient on the subject.

"WHAT?!" A sudden surge of fury pushed away the warning in May's head, the one that was keeping her in line all this time. "You have no right to tell me I can't see Drew any more!! I know you're angry that I already have something going on today, but you do _not_ have the right to control me like that!!"

"May…" She didn't hear the note of warning in his voice, the trembling undertone that signaled danger.

"No! I _will_ go fishing with Drew today, and I _will_ continue to be his friend!! Chew on that, control freak!" It was then that May realized with a shock that she had overstepped her bounds.

She was sprawled on the floor, her cheek stinging terribly. Her head was spinning, and she was having a hard time keeping her thoughts together. It was a few seconds before the flashes of color cleared from her vision and she realized there were tears rolling down her cheeks. Brendan flexed the appendage that he had backhanded her with. She didn't know if it was the tears in her eyes blurring her vision, but she could have sworn his mouth was quirked slightly upwards, like he was satisfied with what he had done. She mentally kicked herself for stepping over the line. She _knew_ that if she didn't watch herself she'd end up getting hurt. She _knew_ that.

"You're not seeing him any more, May. I'm sorry I had to do that, but you really should learn your place. I love you, and I only want to do what's best for us. I'm sure you'll come to understand and thank me later when you see _Drew_ ruining other people's lives like he tried to do to us. But we're too strong, May." He watched her for a few seconds, and then jumped onto a completely different track. He suddenly acted like nothing ever happened, like he hadn't just backhanded his own girlfriend.

"I'm going to run back over to my place to grab a movie I just rented for us. Can you get the popcorn ready?" May nodded dumbly, too shocked to say anything. "Good. We can go out and grab something to eat later." He flashed a quick, small smile and headed back out of the house, and as soon as May heard the car start she began to sob.

Her own boyfriend, the one that really loved her, had just treated her like some sort of….some sort of _slave_ that had just tried to escape or something. He treated her like his property. She couldn't stop crying. It was a horrible, aching, hurting, hateful, miserable, can't-catch-your-breath kind of crying. Her nose was running and her eyes were soon a puffy red. She curled up in a ball on the floor and pressed her cold fingers to her cheek to stop the stinging. It was then she wished she could press something cold to her heart to stop the stinging there, too.

-----------------------------------

Drew was snoring quietly, and he rolled over to make himself more comfortable. His shoulder pressed down on the remote, and the Jeff the Master Chef marathon disappeared, only to be replaced by a hard-hitting, end-of-the-world movie. A meteor crashed into future Earth, and the tremendous, Hollywood explosion jolted Drew awake. He nearly flew off the couch. He flicked off the TV and rubbed his eyes.

"Nnng….how long was I out?" He yawned and stretched, then froze. "Crap! I fell asleep!! I hope I'm not too late to go fishing with May!" He shot out the door and jumped in the car, sighing in relief when he realized he was only five minutes late.

He combed his fingers through his hair while he drove to May's house, his spirits lifting again. Today was going to be nice and relaxing. Just fishing, not worries, and May. He pulled into her short driveway and coolly slid out of the car. He took his sweet time walking to the door, and he stuffed his hands in his pockets after he rung the bell.

No answer.

Drew frowned. He rung the bell one more time, and when no one came he let himself in. He kicked out of his shoes and started to the kitchen. Where was May?

"May? Are you still here?" He called when he passed the stairs, but no one answered.

Meanwhile, May was still sobbing quietly to herself in the living room. If she was in a better state of mind she would have tried to at least fake her cheery self so Drew wouldn't suspect anything, and she could send him home again. But she was hurting, and she wanted to spend the day with him so badly. It could possibly be the last time she ever got to talk to him.

Drew was just coming back downstairs, his brow furrowed. He could tell something wasn't right. Or, maybe May left so she wouldn't have to talk to him…he _did_ kiss her the day before without any sort of consent, so maybe she was trying to avoid him. He shoved his hands in his pockets and walked into the living room.

May. On the floor. Crying.

She looked up at him through puffy red eyes. Her nose was runny, and her cheek was swollen and red. Drew's eyes flew open wide in shock. She looked so…_broken_.

"May! Are you alright!?" Drew knelt down at her side and gathered her up, his forehead creased with worry.

He pressed his hand to her red cheek, and she flinched away.

"Please….don't touch it…" She sniffled, and Drew said nothing.

He didn't know what to say, so he simply hugged her close. She let everything loose then, and for a good five minutes she couldn't even speak she was crying so hard. There was a large wet spot on Drew's shirt, but he didn't care. He pulled May closer and adjusted her position in his lap. She tightened her grip on the front of his shirt, and buried her face deeper into his shoulder. When May began to quiet down Drew spoke, breaking the harsh quietness that surrounded them.

"May, what happened? Why are you so upset?" His voice was strained with unhappiness. The day was supposed to have been wonderful.

"I….Brendan…I was foolish, and I know when enough is enough, but he told me I could never see you again, and I got so _angry_, and…and Brendan had to remind me that I'm not supposed to be so rebellious. I _know_ that!" Drew pushed her out at arms length and examined the welt on her cheek.

"He _hit_ you!?" His voice rose to a higher than normal pitch, and May knew from experience that that meant he was stressed.

"Well…" She looked him in the eye for the first time since he had arrived, and stopped speaking when she saw the unbound fury in his blazing green orbs.

Her silence was only confirmation to his assumption, and May squeaked when he scooped her up in his arms and headed for the door.

"Where are we going?" She stared up at him with wide watery eyes, and his heart broke when he saw the look on her face.

"My house."

"Why?! What will happen when Brendan comes back and discovers that I'm not home?!" Drew hurried out to the car and set May in the passengers' seat, and then climbed into the drivers' side and sped off. They had to get out of there before Brendan came back.

"It's safe at my place, and Brendan doesn't know where I live. May, why didn't you tell me Brendan was abusive like that? I thought we weren't going to have any more secrets after you found out that I was cutting myself?"

"I'm sorry, I just…I thought I could change him. He's really…he's really a good guy when he's relaxed." She swiped her hand across her eyes to clear away the tears, but they wouldn't stop coming.

Her cheek smarted a bit, but the initial pain was gone. The reason she cried was because of the hurt inflicted upon her heart. It was one of those times when the emotional damage is so much more painful and heart wrenching than the actual wound itself. May pulled her knees up under her chin and watched the world go by as they neared Drew's house. Brendan would arrive at her house any minute now, and when he saw the place vacated….she shuddered. He would be beyond angry with her.

"May, how can somebody be a good guy when they abuse the ones they love?" Drew pressed quietly, his eyes focused on the road before him.

"I…it's like he has two side, like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. But it's not a potion that changes him or sets him off, it's jealousy. He gets so jealous and paranoid about the smallest things. If I could just wipe away all that jealousy….he'd be so much better. I could love him enough……." She stopped, and Drew knew it was a touchy subject for her to talk about.

He pulled into his little driveway and helped May out of the car. They were silent as they entered Drew's home, and May sat quietly on the couch while he fetched an icepack. She jumped when the cold pressed against her cheek, and she looked up at Drew with wide, watery blue eyes. He gave her a small, supportive smile and sat down beside her on the cushion. She rested her head on his shoulder, and he kept the icepack in place on her cheek.

The phone rang, startling them both. It rang a second time, and the two looked at each other. May was frightened, and Drew gave her another supportive smile. Everything was going to be okay now. He stood and went to pick up the phone.

"Hello?" He answered in his creakiest, oldest sounding voice. May giggled quietly.

_'Is Drew there? I need to speak with him.'_ Brendan barely managed to sound polite, his words clipped and sharp.

"I'm sorry my boy, but you must have the wrong number. Only my wife and I live here. We don't know anyone by the name of Drew."

_'Oh, well then I'm sorry to bother you__.'_

"Never mind it, laddie." The phone went dead on the other end, and Drew hung up.

He sat back down on the couch, and May erupted into a fit of giggles. She had completely forgotten about the seriousness of the situation, and Drew smiled. It had been a long time since he had actually made her happy.

"Drew! You really fooled him! I never knew you were such a good old man!" She was still smiling, but it was fading fast.

"Let's just say I've had practice. There are a lot of people in this world that I don't want to talk to."

They sat in silence for a moment, and then May looked down and juggled the icepack back and forth between her hands. Drew watched, knowing she was about to say something. It was a habit of hers, fidgeting when she was trying to say something that was hard to say.

"Drew…what am I going to do now?" Her voice was quiet, and she still didn't look up at him. "I want to help him. He needs me…I just know something is wrong. He's not like that for no reason. Something happened, and it hurts that he won't tell me."

"May……" He really didn't know what to say to that. He needed her too. "You should stay here for a while. Just until we figure out what we're going to do about this." He placed his hand over hers, the one that was holding the icepack. "I won't let him hurt you again."

"But, all my stuff…it's all back at my house." She looked up at him, and he blinked.

"You'll just use the spare necessities I have. I've got extra toothbrushes, hairbrushes, shampoo…you're covered." He smiled softly. "And you can stay in my room. I'll just sleep on the couch."

May began to protest, but Drew held up his hand. He would have none of it.

"So…how about some lunch?" He quirked an eyebrow, and May smiled softly.

"Sure. That sounds good."

Drew stood to go to the kitchen, and when May got up to follow him he pushed her back down on the couch. She furrowed her brows at him, and he shook his head.

"Just rest. Take a nap. I'll wake you up when lunch is ready." May huffed, but she laid down and allowed Drew to pull a cover over her.

May watched him leave and disappear into the kitchen. She wished he wouldn't treat her like such a fragile little doll. Her thoughts drifted and blurred, and before she knew it she was falling asleep to the comforting sounds of the kitchen.

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_Her head was filled with dreams of a perfect love, and instead of meeting Brendan at the altar she was faced with a green-haired, green-__eyed boy. He smiled, they said their vows, and they kissed. When May opened her eyes again they were leaning over a small table at the coffee shop. Drew was holding her hand, and he gave it a quick squeeze. She smiled at him, and they drank their coffee in the comfortable warmth of the small shop. _

_When May drained her mug she closed her eyes and sighed, and when she opened them again she was inhaling the wonderful autumn air. She and Drew were walking in the park, their hands clasped together loosely. She__ looked over at the man walking beside her. He smiled warmly, and she noticed the lines of age that creased around his eyes and mouth. His __hair __had lost its vibrant sheen, and in the warm evening sun it glowed a dull grey-green. The only thing that hadn't changed was his beautiful emerald green eyes._

_A crisp autumn wind __whisked__ the leaves up around their feet, and May closed her eyes to brush the hair out of her face. She opened them again, and her blue orbs looked out over the ocean from the back of a cruise ship. Drew was standing beside her, and his hair had gone almost completely grey. Her hands were resting on the railing that lay between her and the sea, and she could feel the warmth of Drew's fingers covering her own. She sighed in contentment, and the scene changed again._

_She and Dr__ew were sitting on a porch swing, watching the sun rise over an endless sea of tall green trees. The birds were just beginning to rouse around them. A swift wind sliced through her thin spring jacket, and she shivered. Drew wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she fell asleep to the rhythm of his heartbeat. _

_Old images flashed through her sleeping mind. Fishing with Drew and falling in the pond, playing Frisbee with__ him and her little brother, eating ice cream at their favorite parlor, countless games of Scrabble to ease a troubled mind, happiness, laughter, and comfort. Her heart swelled as she viewed a flash into their past._

_------------------------------------_

Drew walked out to the living room to tell May it was time to eat, and he smiled at her sleeping form. He was about to wake her when he saw the tears that glistened in the corners of her eyes. He frowned. What was she dreaming about that made her cry? He observed her for a few moments, and discovered the shocking truth.

May snuggled deeper into the couch and smiled faintly. She murmured his name and rolled over. He quirked a brow and couldn't keep from smiling. She was dreaming about him, and she was happy. He decided to leave her to her dreams and he returned to the kitchen, a smile still on his lips.

Perhaps things would turn out in his favor after all.

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Yes!! Met the two week deadline!!! But just barely….jeez. So? I hope this chappie turned out okay. The end kinda sucked…..but it's leading to some wonderful fluffiness in the next chappie!!! Wee!! I'm so excited, I just wish I could like, send this to all of you guys with telepathy so you wouldn't have to wait for my uber slow updates!

I'll try to stay consistent with the two week posting, and if this ficcy isn't done by the end of the holidays I'll probably update faster when they're all done and over with. I've just got so much going on, so the next update might take a while!! I have to somehow work writing in between play practice every day this coming week, Mixed Ensemble, dance, upcoming preparations for Thanksgiving (my family always gathers at my house), post-op checkups, homework, and family activities.

Well, now that you've dealt with my ranting, here's some information that you might like to know. I am in fact a review whore, so it'd be nice to hear from those of you that consistently review (thank you, guys!!) and those of you who just…lurk. So please tell me what you think of this so far!! Huggles to all my wonderful reviewers! n.n


	5. Finally: Feelings Revealed!

**Disclaimer****-** oh, go die in a hole. -.-

Finally: Feelings Revealed!

May grunted and rolled over. It was so warm…and the blanket smelled so…so _good._ She opened her eyes and blinked groggily into the darkness. Well, she was in a bed…but, it sure as hell wasn't her bed. She started to panic, and then she remembered that she was at Drew's house. She smiled. May pulled the sheets up around her and inhaled their scent. _So good._

Her belly rumbled, and she widened her eyes. She hadn't eaten since…since breakfast. _'Oh crap! Breakfast, morning, fishing…I didn't get to go fishing. Holy crap! It's night already?! How long did I sleep?'_ May gave up the sheets and rolled out of bed. She knew there was a tiny bathroom that joined onto Drew's room, and she fumbled around until she found the cool wooden door. She flicked on the lights, and the brightness made her blink a few times until her eyes adjusted. The bathroom tiles were cold on her bare feet, and she looked down.

Thank God. She was still in her day clothes. It would've been so embarrassing to wake up and find out that Drew had changed her in to a pair of pajamas or something. She looked around and smiled when she saw a new pair of PJ's waiting for her on the small stand by the sink. May picked up the small yellow sticky note on top of them and read:

Morning sleepy head.

I ran out and bought you some PJ's,

I hope they're the right size. Your

toothbrush is on the sink.

She changed into the comfy night attire and smoothed her hands over the fabric. Just right. After washing her face and folding up her day clothes, May stretched and blindly tried to find her way to the door of the bedroom. She stubbed her toe on the dresser, but other than that she made it safely out the door. The hallway light was on, and she made her way sleepily to the kitchen. She passed the other bathroom in the house, and briefly wondered if Drew found it lonely, living in a home built for a family. It only had one bedroom, but she knew that a large walk-in closet by the front door used to be a guest room.

May wandered through the dimly lit kitchen and sighed when her cold toes touched the warmth of the carpet in the living room. She smiled. Drew was snoring softly, sprawled on the couch. His head lolled over the armrest, and a magazine was lying open on his chest. She then noticed that he had changed into his pajamas, which consisted of boxers and a wife beater. May couldn't help but admire how nicely sculpted his chest and arms were. Lean, but tone enough to draw attention.

Drew released a somewhat loud snore, and May giggled. She watched the green haired boy as he roused from sleep, his expression utterly adorable.

"Nnng….May? You're awake." He blinked and smiled groggily, sending May into another fit of giggles.

His hair was tousled, he couldn't seem to keep his eyes all the way open, and he looked utterly content to be such a mess. It was wonderful. Drew quirked a brow at her.

"What? What's so funny?"

"Nothing!" She smiled, and Drew could only smile wider. She looked cute in those PJ's. He could just picture her there with a teddy bear in her arms, complaining about having a bad dream.

He laughed when he heard her stomach rumble. She blushed and wrapped her arms around her belly.

"I saved some supper for you. I would have woken you up when it was ready, but I just couldn't bear to tear you away from your dreams. You looked like you were so happy." He smiled and walked past her, flicking on the light in the kitchen.

May remembered what she was dreaming about, and her face heated up. She hoped she hadn't said anything embarrassing. She was always so self-conscious when she was little ever since her mum told her she talked in her sleep. Drew took a plate of potato filled pirogues and a bowl of salad out of the fridge and set them on the table. He grabbed a clean plate from the cupboard and handed it to May, gesturing for her to help herself. She piled on the pirogues and popped the plate into the microwave, and then watched silently as Drew set water on to boil.

"Would you prefer tea or hot chocolate?" He turned and quirked a brow at her.

"Umm…I guess tea sounds good!" She smiled, and Drew rolled his eyes.

The two sat in comfortable silence while May ate her late supper. Drew was trying not to laugh at the way she ate, because he had forgotten about how gluttonous she could be sometimes. The teapot whistled demandingly from the stovetop, and Drew went to prepare the tea. He smiled softly to himself while he dipped the teabags into the steaming water. Just like old times.

May wrapped her cold fingers around the mug and sipped carefully so as not to burn her tongue. Drew sat at the opposite end of the table, but instead of drinking he watched May drain her own cup. She glanced in his direction, and raised her eyebrows in question.

"What?" She swallowed her mouthful of hot liquid, loving the way it warmed her throat and belly.

"Nothing. I was just thinking." He stared into the swirling steam rising from his tea.

"About what?"

"May, why do you stay with him if he abuses you like that?"

She reeled. What he said was so unexpected, it took her a moment for her to collect herself. She frowned, and stared at her own tea. He sure liked to wander into difficult territory, that Drew. Especially when that territory was none of his business. But, he was her best friend, right? And she…she loved him, didn't she? Her brow furrowed. She sighed. Drew was her rock, her listening buddy when things got rough. But, that was supposed to be _Brendan's_ job. How was it going to work out when _he _ended up being the problem?

"May?"

"I already told you Drew, I have to help him!" She felt frustrated, angry at herself for being a complication. It would've been so much easier if _Drew_ was her boyfriend.

Drew frowned. "How? How can I go about my own life if I'm constantly worried about yours!? I know you think he's really a good guy on the inside, and I'm sure he is, but you need to open your eyes! He needs _help_ May! And I'm not talking about you risking life and limb to try and turn things around, I mean he needs a doctor. Obviously his life isn't all rainbows and sunshine!"

"Drew! How can you say that! I _love _him! What do you want me to do?! Just break things off, without even a word?? Or should I send him an apologetic card or something, telling him he needs a stupid specialist to sort out his problems!? Is that how you think I should treat my own _boyfriend!?_"

Sting. Boyfriend. Right. He knew that. What was he doing?

"I…I'm sorry. I just don't want to have to watch you break like that again." He whispered, his eyes filled with tears. He turned away, swallowing hard to push down the lump in his throat. "I'm going back to bed. It's obvious you don't want to talk about this with me now. Just…don't get hurt again, okay?"

Drew walked back into the living room, and May watched his back. He turned off the light and settled down on the couch. His mug sat, still steaming, on the table. Her cup was half empty, and in a way, that was exactly how she felt. She sighed. Everything was wonderful, so why did he have to go and open his big mouth?

Everything _wasn't_ wonderful, that's why.

May cleared the dishes from the table and turned out the kitchen light. She returned to Drew's bedroom, her heart aching and her belly half full. What was her problem? She should have never blown up at him like that. She snuggled into the sheets that smelled like Drew, and closed her eyes. When morning came, she would fix things.

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Screaming. Drew woke up to loud, terrified screaming. It was night, but the sky had changed to a lighter blue. Morning was on its way. But he wasn't thinking about that. He shot up, threw off the covers, and bolted out of the living room. He knew it was May screaming. Something was wrong.

He burst into his room, just seconds after the screaming stopped and things fell eerily silent again. May was curled up on her side, bawling into the sheets. Drew took a second to survey the scene, and then he was sitting on the edge of the bed, his hand resting gently on a shuddering shoulder. May flinched.

"Get away from me!" She lashed out and pushed away, her crystal blue eyes widening in fright.

She took him in, and then seemed to realize it was only Drew. Not the menace of her dreams that raised his fists and beat her with words. Hate, spite, scorn, _bruises._

"May." Drew whispered her name, and pulled her towards him and away from the edge of the bed.

For a long time they stayed that way, the crying girl cradled in the arms of the cutting boy. Drew rubbed May's back, and she slowly began to release her death grip on his wife beater. The horrible shaking in her body eased away, but he could still feel the tears soaking through his shirt.

"May?" He whispered her name, and in response she buried her head deeper into his shirt. "Please, May, tell me what's wrong." She sniffled.

"I…he, he…Brendan….." Drew stiffened.

He understood now. She was dreaming about him. About what he did to her. That _bastard._

May inhaled loudly and began to sob anew, her dream returning full force. She couldn't make to hurt go away. And the bruises…they were everywhere. Her eyebrow was cut and bleeding. She couldn't No, no, no, please, stop…" May shoved away and pressed her hands to the sides of her head. "Please…I love you…" Drew grabbed her wrists, and she tried to pull away like an animal caught in a trap.

She flailed and yanked back again so suddenly that Drew lost his balance, and as May tumbled backward he lurched forward and landed right on top of her.

"Eeek!" May jolted out of her dream-like state and her sapphire blue eyes flew wide open. "Bren…!"

"Shush."

And that was all it took. Once again, they were situated in a comfortable, yet unexpected lip lock. May relaxed, and Drew released her wrists in favor of propping himself up so he didn't suffocate her. She remained still for a moment, and then May shyly rested her hands on his shoulders. She remembered the kiss in the coffee shop, and decided she liked this one better. They were completely alone, without the prying eyes of the public, and he was so _close._

Drew pulled away first, and all he did was stare at her with those heated green eyes. His forearms framed her head, and he tangled one of his hands in her hair. As for May, she couldn't speak. Her whole body was warm from the inside out, and she was completely surrounded by him. Her breathing was shallow, and his mouth pulled into a small smile. He leaned closer again, and her eyes widened. But Drew wasn't the kind of person that stole things, especially from his best friend.

"May…?" He waited. She managed a tiny nod, and he was at it again. He was making her feel like she was wanted, like she wasn't just some guys' relief when he was feeling angry and needed an outlet.

Drew buried both of his hands in her hair and she slid her hands down to his chest, her thin fingers gripping his tear-stained wife beater. She moved her hands lower still, and they stopped at the edge of the wife beater. Drew pulled away, and May deflated. He suddenly seemed to realize what they were doing. He rocked back on his heels and moved away from the girl he loved. He couldn't do it. She was just recovering from her abusive boyfriend, and he was taking _advantage_ of her, dammit. Drew forked his fingers through his hair. She didn't love him, she just needed a distraction from the pain. He knew about that all too well.

He slid out of the bed and stood with his back to May. He heard her as she started to cry again, but he was too stupid to realize why. He thought she was just upset that it wasn't Brendan who wanted to love her so much. But he knew nothing. May cried in regret, her heart breaking with rejection. She thought he didn't love her, she thought he saw her feelings and refused her.

"Drew…please don't go!" It broke his heart to hear her like that.

"Goodnight, May." He took three long strides to the door, and just as his hand grasped cold metal a pair of arms wrapped around his torso.

"Please…stay." He felt her bury her head between his shoulder blades.

Everything was quiet, and no one moved. Drew was torn between leaving and sending her home in the morning, or just turning back and taking her right there. May was trying to hold on to him for as long as she could before he shoved her away and told her to go back to Brendan if she wanted someone to love.

"Why?"

"I need you. Please, don't go." He could feel her warm breath on his back, and it wasn't making things any easier.

"May, you still have a boyfriend, remember? I thought you loved him." His words were sharp and cold, just like the knives in his kitchen. Just like the ones that drained away his life blood.

He couldn't have her. Not unless he knew she actually loved him. But, that was never going to happen, was it? He smiled dryly. Fate just loved to screw his life over.

"I don't care, okay?! Don't you realize that Brendan doesn't love me?!" She inhaled sharply, and Drew turned to look at her with a shocked expression. "He…he doesn't love me…" May sagged, and she looked up at Drew with tear-filled eyes.

"May…" For the second time that night he pulled her close, trying to hug away the pain.

She was the one that saved him from the blade, his favorite method of torture. But now, now it was time for him to save her from her own despair. Drew leaned down and whispered quietly in her hair, risking his heart for hers.

"He might not love you, but I do."

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Alright, Happy Thanksgiving! Or Happy Turkey Day, whatever floats your boat. I decided I should do something productive with my vacation, so here you go! I hope you like it, even though I don't! It's so _crappy!!_ There's lots of jumpy brokenness, and icky weird mood changes (mostly because I'm listening to a mixed CD that jumps from some emo depressed song to a happy, luv-luv one XD) but I'm too lazy to go back and fix things, so just chuck rotten veggies at me or something. I'm sorry it's so short too, but I kinda got to the end way before I expected to!

Yeah, so I'll try to make the next chapter less yucky. I'm a little distracted right now, so this chappie needs some work. Which will never happen. Oh well. Anywho, please review!! I heart all of you who have reviewed so far, you guys are my oxygen!! Heh, yeah. XD

--Mistoffelees Shadow

P.S. --I completely ignored spell check, so feel free to berate me for errors.


	6. Uhh, yeah

**DISCLAIMER!!!** Yup. Trying something different this time. Caps really draw peoples attention, you know? And they're uber fun. :D Anywho, I'm supposed to tell you that PKMN doesn't belong to me, but in my twisted reality it does, SO HAHA. X3

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Mmmmflgh?!

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That did not just come out of his mouth. He couldn't believe he just let it slip like that! Stupid heat-of-the-moment things that ruined his thinking process. He tensed up, and May pushed him out at arms length. She studied him with a serious expression, wariness set deep in her eyes. She blinked.

"Say it again."

"….what?"

"I said, say it again. Please?" Her mouth quirked up ever so slightly and she begged him with her ocean blue eyes. "Please say it again, Drew."

He couldn't just _say it again._ Things just didn't work that way! There was a huge lump in his throat, and after several attempts to clear it away he gave up. He could only give her a withering smile, trying to say it with his eyes. _I do love you, May. Please believe me._ There was no way he could say it again, now that things had become….awkward.

May sighed and dropped her eyes to the floor. "Please say something….anything. Just, don't lie to make me feel better."

"May, I meant every word. See," he cleared his throat, "I've…had uh, _feelings_ for you ever since you told me you were dating Brendan. I was so jealous, and it just sort of hit me that…well, I love you, May."

When May lifted her eyes to look at him, Drew noticed that she was crying. He frowned.

"What? Did I say something wrong?" He tensed, but May shook her head and choked out a laugh.

"No, you didn't say anything wrong. I'm just happy, that's all." He smiled. "But…"

"But what?"

"What about Brendan?" She furrowed her brow and wiped the tear trails from her cheeks.

"What _about _Brendan?" Drew grinned, pulled her close, and kissed her until her knees buckled and she could no longer stand on her own two feet.

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May yawned and stretched, and as she snuggled down into the covers she smiled to herself. It was in Drew's bed that she slept.

"Morning, sleepy head." She turned her head towards the door, and there stood Drew, in all his shirtless glory. He had nothing on but a pair of boxers, and he was currently towel drying his hair.

"Good morning." Her smile widened, and for a long time they just stared at each other. She was sleeping in his bed, and he had no clothes on. What a good morning it was indeed.

"So….will it be pancakes, French toast, or waffles?"

"Pancakes."

"Bacon, sausage, or ham?"

"Bacon."

"Now, would you like that on a silver platter or a Dixie paper plate?" He grinned.

"Dixie, please. But only if I get breakfast in bed!" She giggled, and Drew nodded.

"Breakfast in bed it is. But first, I'm going to get dressed." May blushed when he winked at her, and he left the room chuckling.

May rolled out of bed, and headed to the small bathroom that joined on to Drew's bedroom. She pulled her fingers through her hair and brushed her teeth, humming all the while. She smiled as she remembered how Drew kissed her the night before, and decided that her problems with Brendan weren't all bad. They couldn't have been if that was the whole reason Drew finally confessed to her. The warm words echoed in her head, and she giggled.

She jumped when the phone rang from down the hall, and Drew called to her from the other bathroom asking if she could get it. May decided to get her shower after breakfast, and she hurried down the hall in her baby blue pajamas.

"Hello?"

_'May? Is that you?'_

She froze. Brendan was calling again. Did he find Drew's phone number in her room?

"I, um…you must have the wrong number, sir!"

_'May, it is you! Don't you dare hang up on me! May!'_

SLAM.

Drew appeared from the bathroom doorway--fully dressed--and frowned when he saw May panicking in front of the phone.

"Who was it?" She looked up at him with a startled expression, and her scared eyes answered his question. "May, everything's okay now. He'll never treat you like that again, I promise. Just leave it all to me." Drew had her wrapped in a hug in two strides from the bathroom door to the phone, and all her cares melted away.

"Okay."

"Now, how about that breakfast?" May smiled, and Drew pushed her back to his bedroom.

"What are you doing?"

"I thought you said you wanted breakfast in bed!"

"Oh. Right!" May laughed and Drew tucked her back in, leaving with a kiss on her forehead.

"Be right back."

Drew went to start the pancakes, and May was left alone with only her thoughts for company. The night before had been complete and utter bliss. Drew eased her troubled mind and kissed away her doubts, and she finally learned the secret behind his other mysterious cuts, that were now nothing but shiny pink scars. She nearly flipped her lid when he told her it was all because of her relationship with Brendan, but once again Drew thwarted her by kissing her speechless.

They talked into the wee hours of the morning, and when May was half asleep Drew wrapped his arm around her shoulders, and she snuggled right up to his warmth with a sigh of content. Life didn't get much better than that. May's musings were pleasantly interrupted when Drew returned with two plates of syrup coated pancakes and sides of bacon. He handed May her plate and settled down on the edge of the bed to eat breakfast with her.

"Mmmm…it smells so good…" May inhaled the wonderful smell rising from her plate and promptly dug in to the breakfast feast.

Drew started laughing, and she looked up at him with pudgy chipmunk cheeks. "What?"

"You're really into tucking that away, aren't you?" He continued to chuckle, and she scowled at him.

"S'not my fauwt if I like a big bweakfast…" She swallowed and returned to her pancakes, and Drew smiled, digging in to his own food.

"But you like everything…" He grinned when she stabbed her pancake with an unnecessary amount of force. "No need to get angry now, I was just speculating!"

"Hey, Drew…" She looked up with mischief dancing in her eyes.

"What?"

"Speculate this!" May flung a bite of pancake from her fork and Drew didn't have time to react.

The syrup splattered in a sticky mess on his face, and the bit of breakfast food slid down his cheek. May tried to cover her giggles, but it wasn't long before she was full out laughing.

"Don't think you got away with that, May!" Drew set his plate aside and lunged forward, but May had already skittered out of bed and down the hall, giggling all the way.

Drew followed her in hot pursuit, and it wasn't long before he had her trapped behind the couch. She was making pathetic attempts at apologizing all the while trying to find a good escape route. Drew faked to the right and just as she ran left he caught her by the wrist.

"Gotcha!"

May squealed, tripped backwards over the arm of the couch, and Drew toppled forward and barely had time to stick out his hands so he didn't squish her. Everything was quiet except for the shocked sigh that wooshed out of May's lungs. Drew blinked and smirked down at her.

"I told ya you wouldn't get away with throwing food at me, May." He leaned down and pressed his forehead to hers. "Now pay up."

And there they were, romancing away and kissing on the couch. That's exactly what Brendan saw when he stormed into the room, fuming. His eyes flew wide. May and Drew broke apart and simultaneously gasped. Brendan spluttered wordlessly, shocked beyond speaking. Realization shot across Drew's face and he pulled May up from the couch with him, arms wrapped around her shoulders protectively.

"How the hell did you get into my house?" Drew seethed, his words quiet and intense.

"The door was open, and I came to get May." He directed his attention to her, and she couldn't look away. "Let's go, May. We have to talk."

She couldn't move. His eyes burned hers, and she was frightened out of her wits. Now she knew what it was like to be a deer in the headlights. Fear clutched her stomach, but she was distracted as soon as Drew slid his arms down to her waist and tightened his grip.

"She's not going anywhere, asshole. Now _get out of my house._" Drew practically snarled, but Brendan didn't move.

"May. I said _let's go._" But all she could do was bury her fingers deeper in the fabric of Drew's shirt. "May, NOW!"

And suddenly, she wasn't so afraid anymore. This man _did not_ rule her life. She could do what she damn well pleased, as far as she was concerned. He had no say in where she went or who she stayed with. She sighed. But she couldn't let him get in a fight with Drew. May tried to take a step towards Brendan, but Drew didn't relieve his iron grip.

"May?" She turned and looked up at him. He was trying to hide it, but she could see the hurt in his eyes.

_Don't go. Please don't go._ She smiled at him reassuringly and he relaxed his arms. There was a horrible ache in his chest, and his heart was giving him a good thrashing for letting her go. But he would not hold her against her will, not like _him._

"May…" She shook her head and refused to look him in the face.

"Let me go." His hands drifted back to his sides and balled his hands into fists. _Dammit._

May walked across the room, and Brendan stood with a satisfied smirk. He _would_ have the last laugh, even if he had to drag her out the door by her hair.

"Good. I knew you'd make the right choice. Now, let's--"

"Shut up." May slapped him across the face, snarling viciously. "That's for trying to run my life!" And then she kneed him right in the baby maker. "And that's for hitting me, you ass!"

May spun on her heel and jumped when she saw Drew standing right behind her. She smiled in satisfaction, but Drew was still frowning. Without a word he leaned over and wrapped his arms around her small torso, burying his face in her hair and breathing deeply.

"What's wrong?"

"I thought….I thought you were really going to leave me, May." She smiled and hugged him back.

"I'll never leave you. I promise."

He sighed. "Okay." Drew let her go and turned his attention towards Brendan. "Now, get out of my house!" He hauled the pained man up by his armpits and dragged him to the door.

"I'm not leaving without May! She's my girlfriend!"

Drew threw open the door and shoved Brendan--who was refusing to budge now that he was recovered--out the door with the flat of his foot.

"Well not any more!!" Slam.

"Drew?" He turned away from the door and ignored the pounding that was coming from the other side.

"What?"

"Thanks."

Drew walked over and took her hand, not even noticing that the pounding on the door had gotten louder. "Anytime."

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Weeee! Yeah, that WAS uber short, but the next chappie won't really fit if it's part of this one. I'm planning on writing some serious sneakiness next chappie, and it will be my ULTIMATE HUMOR. MWAHAHAHAHAHA. XD Erm…..yeah….so, that's what's gonna happen. But just to warn you, it might not be ultimate humor(evil laugh). It could be cruddy, cheeseball, mediocre humor. There was supposed to be a witty comment right here, but I completely forgot what I was going to say. -.- Heh, that's life. Anywho, prepare for HUMOROUS DOOOOM. XP

Oh, and please review. n.n

Mistoffelees Shadow

P.S.- Did you see my amazingly witty title?? ;D


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